Stormers edge Bulls in Cape Town thriller

URC REPORT: The Stormers have done the double over the Bulls in this season's United Rugby Championship.

The Capetonians recorded a narrow 19-17 win over their old rivals in Cape Town on Saturday. Earlier in the season, they beat the Bulls 30-26 in Pretoria.

It cemented their place at the top of the United Rugby Championship's South African Shield against their closest rivals.

The game received lift off in the closing seconds of the first half when the Bulls were held up over the line and the Stormers used the resulting drop out to launch an attack that ended with a fine finish by flanker Hacjivah Dayimani.

Wing Canan Moodie responded for the visitors from Pretoria by finishing a dynamic attack in the 51st minute but the excitement quickly subsided as play became edgy once more.

Two penalties by Manie Libbok and a Damian Willemse drop goal propelled the Stormers back in front before a late Elrigh Louw placed the outcome in doubt.

However, the closing stages were played in the Bulls' half and they were unable to score again.

The Bulls controlled the opening quarter but had to wait until the 16th minute for their first points when Chris Smith got them off the mark with a penalty.

Smith's opposite number Libbok produced a creative masterclass against the Ospreys a week earlier but the flyhalf was now being given far less time and space to weave his magic.

Apart from the occasional flourish in attack from the Stormers, an attritional first half continued to be dominated by the packs and the boot.

The Bulls ended the half with a series of drives for the line from their forwards, yet remarkably it provoked a furious response from their opponents who went for broke knowing it was the final play before the interval and were rewarded when Dayimani used his strength to cross.

The score was levelled in the 51st minute when Moodie went over with Cornal Hendricks also involved but the try was born out of the quick thinking of scrum-half Zak Burger.

Libbok nudged the Stormers back in front with successive penalties before Willemse booted a drop goal.

Referee Frank Murphy then sin-binned Dayimani for a high tackle but did not award Ruan Nortje a try, although the Bulls soon crossed through number eight Louw soon after anyway despite it being in vain.

Man of the Match

Dayimani may have been sin-binned late on for grabbing Kurt-Lee Arendse around the neck but the Stormers flanker already had too much credit in the bank to be denied the award.

An all-action display was capped by his brilliant finish for his side's only try, producing a sharp step and then showing his strength to cross.

Play of the match

The two previous tries were easier on the eye but Louw's 74th minute touchdown was preceded by a contentious build-up and created a nervy finish for the Stormers.

The scorers:

For Stormers:

Try: Dayimani

Con: Libbok

Pens: Libbok 3

DG: Willemse

For Bulls:

Tries: Moodie, Louw

Cons: Smith, Steyn

Pen: Smith

Yellow card: Hacjivah Dayimani (Stormers, 73 - foul play, high tackle)

Teams:

Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Rikus Pretorius, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Hacjivah Dayimani, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Adre Smith, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff (captain).

Replacements: 16 Chad Solomon, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Connor Evans, 20 Ben-Jason Dixon, 21 Junior Pokomela, 22 Paul de Wet, 23 Sergeal Petersen.

Bulls: 15 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Madosh Tambwe, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Zak Burger, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Walt Steenkamp, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.

Replacements: 16 Joe van Zyl, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Robert Hunt, 19 Janko Swanepoel, 20 Arno Botha, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Morne Steyn, 23 Cornal Hendricks.

Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)

Assistant referees: AJ Jacobs (South Africa) and Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa)

TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)

Additional source: @URCOfficial